{"id":138939,"date":"2025-01-23T02:36:07","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T08:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=138939"},"modified":"2025-07-07T10:15:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T15:15:06","slug":"snowy-portraits-male-red-bellied-woodpecker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/23\/snowy-portraits-male-red-bellied-woodpecker\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowy Portraits: Male Red-bellied Woodpecker"},"content":{"rendered":"

The snowfall earlier this month in Arkansas provided many opportunities for me to photograph various bird species, including this male Red-bellied Woodpecker.<\/p>\n

\"Red-belliedRed-bellied Woodpecker male portrait in snow \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1\/200, ISO 1000, +2.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 312mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers, and this male came close enough while I was bundled up on the deck to take some portraits of him. I couldn\u2019t help but admire how the snow-white background made the red plumage on his head and the back of his neck stand out even more, it was such a striking contrast.<\/p>\n

The black-and-white feathers on his back and wings stood out well, too.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Red-bellied Woodpecker close up in a snowstorm \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1\/200, ISO 1000, +2.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 312mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

He had stopped by the suet feeder for a snack, something these woodpeckers really seem to appreciate when the weather turns cold and snowy. Suet provides the extra calories they need to keep up their energy in tough conditions like this. Watching him enjoy the feeder was a treat, and it made sitting out in the chill completely worth it.<\/p>\n

While I didn\u2019t spot a female Red-bellied Woodpecker at the suet feeder, I\u2019m pretty sure there are some females nearby. This species doesn\u2019t migrate, so even if a female didn\u2019t show up during the snowstorm, there are probably some females out there somewhere in the area.<\/p>\n

I expect that by the end of next month, these Red-bellied Woodpeckers will begin looking for trees to nest in and start working on their nesting cavities.<\/p>\n

Last year, I saw several Red-bellied Woodpeckers<\/span><\/a> using their nesting cavities, but I missed the chance to photograph their young in the nest. I hope to accomplish that this coming nesting season.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Red-bellied Woodpecker photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The snowfall earlier this month in Arkansas provided many opportunities for me to photograph various bird species, including this male Red-bellied Woodpecker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":138934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13950,13997,13951],"tags":[4004,4142,1996,13981,4175,3984,13931,4062,13998,4046,13999,4050,4509,4899,4328,373,13966],"class_list":["post-138939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-red-bellied-woodpeckers","category-sebastian-county","tag-adult","tag-close-up","tag-driftwood","tag-feeder","tag-fog","tag-foggy","tag-garden","tag-male","tag-melanerpes-carolinus","tag-portrait","tag-red-bellied-woodpecker","tag-snow","tag-snow-storm","tag-snowstorm","tag-snowy","tag-winter","tag-yard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-snow-winter-mia-mcpherson-7772.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-A8X","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":128142,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/04\/30\/female-and-male-red-bellied-woodpecker-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":138939,"position":0},"title":"Female And Male Red-bellied Woodpecker Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, I am sharing a few of the Red-bellied Woodpecker portraits I've taken in my friend and fellow photographer Steve Creek's amazing birdy yard in Arkansas.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Red-bellied Woodpecker portrait in Arkansas, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-female-mia-mcpherson-3463.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-female-mia-mcpherson-3463.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-female-mia-mcpherson-3463.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-female-mia-mcpherson-3463.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":134128,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/09\/08\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-up-close\/","url_meta":{"origin":138939,"position":1},"title":"Red-bellied Woodpecker Male Up Close","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Happy Sunday! Today I am sharing one Red-bellied Woodpecker male up close photo that I took two days ago just because I like the image of the woodpecker.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-bellied Woodpecker male up close, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-up-close-mia-mcpherson-7216.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-up-close-mia-mcpherson-7216.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-up-close-mia-mcpherson-7216.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-up-close-mia-mcpherson-7216.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":130360,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/07\/09\/immature-red-bellied-woodpecker-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":138939,"position":2},"title":"Immature Red-bellied Woodpecker Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning, while waiting for the first rain bands from Hurricane Beryl, I sat on Steve Creek's deck to photograph this immature Red-bellied Woodpecker.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Red-bellied Woodpecker portrait, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/red-bellied-woodpecker-immature-mia-mcpherson-0184.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/red-bellied-woodpecker-immature-mia-mcpherson-0184.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/red-bellied-woodpecker-immature-mia-mcpherson-0184.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/red-bellied-woodpecker-immature-mia-mcpherson-0184.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113822,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/06\/17\/young-red-bellied-woodpecker-with-an-adult-close-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":138939,"position":3},"title":"Young Red-bellied Woodpecker With An Adult Close Up","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I'm sharing a close up photo of a young Red-bellied Woodpecker with an adult taken in my good friend Steve Creek's yard at a feeder.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Red-bellied Woodpecker with an adult, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/red-bellied-woodpeckers-male-young-mia-mcpherson-5387.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/red-bellied-woodpeckers-male-young-mia-mcpherson-5387.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/red-bellied-woodpeckers-male-young-mia-mcpherson-5387.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/red-bellied-woodpeckers-male-young-mia-mcpherson-5387.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":149717,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/06\/29\/summer-male-red-bellied-woodpecker-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":138939,"position":4},"title":"Summer Male Red-bellied Woodpecker Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It was around this time last summer that I photographed this adult male Red-bellied Woodpecker. I saw him practically every day at the feeders.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-bellied Woodpecker in summer, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-summer-mia-mcpherson-7443.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-summer-mia-mcpherson-7443.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-summer-mia-mcpherson-7443.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/red-bellied-woodpecker-male-summer-mia-mcpherson-7443.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138071,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/12\/22\/winter-male-red-bellied-woodpecker\/","url_meta":{"origin":138939,"position":5},"title":"Winter Male Red-bellied Woodpecker","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sharing three photos of a male Red-bellied Woodpecker that I took yesterday on the Winter Solstice, which also marks the first day of astronomical winter.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-bellied Woodpecker with a peanut, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-1001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-1001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-1001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/red-bellied-woodpecker-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-1001.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}